Snow Covered Tears
by crimson-fantasy
Summary: CliffxNel! There aint enough of this couple. For more Check out the C2: Till the End of Time! Okay, this is about their trip ALONE to AiryGlyph, and how they discover each others past.


**This is an attempt to start up some more Nel Cliff fans cause I love that pairing. And I would like to put out my theory on Klausians. Alright I think that they age different from humans, so their physical age and actual years that they have lived are different, which means that when they are oh…say 36 in human years but they would actually be about 26 or 27 in Klausian…cool eh. I think that might be why they are so hot…hehehe. **

This story is possibly chaptered if encouraged by reviewers, but may be a one shot. It is based on Nel's father dieing and her going through rough times about it when her and Cliff are going to Airyglyph together.

_Anna, who is now editing this fic, is now giving herself credit because the author did not. I am finalfantasychick178 and should be respected. Check out my Cliff Nel too! And also crimson-fantasy's (or our) C2 called: Till the End of Time. Oh and I would also like to give myself credit for helping her to think up that whole age difference with Klausians. I can't remember which one of us thought of it first, but I think we're both brilliant._

_**Oh and another thing she forgot…is that the italics mean someone's thinking…my guess is Cliff thinking in particular. Oh and she doesn't own shit either so don't go suing my best friend or I'll have to throttle you.**__**

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Nel and Cliff entered Arius just as daybreak was beginning to fade. It was still light, but the moon was out and the stars were beginning to hang more by the moment.

"So shall we rest here for the night?" Nel questioned, smirking back at cliff, who was a few feet behind her.

"Sleep already? Come on we can make it to Airyglyph tonight no problem. We can stay there! No need to hang around." Cliff commented in his ever-so-persuasive state of mind, that just seemed to override anybodies objections. Though it seemed a bit careless to even Nel she decided he was right. The quicker things got done the better.

"Alright I guess your right it's not like the boogie man will get us if we walk in the dark anyhow." Nel turned back and walked on. Claire had warned that the weather might not be amiable ahead, but she shrugged her over-cautious friend off just wanting to get through quickly and without too much hassle.

After leaving behind Arias, and about half an hour darkness was starting to set in a bit more and clouds where thickening and sagging. Not wanting to admit that for once Claire may not have been over reacting they strode on.

"So looks like we might be headed for a bit of snow, suppose we should turn back?" Cliff asked only raising the obvious into view.

"No need, I think we can live through a little bit of storm, I don't know about where your from but it's pretty common in Airyglyph."

"Yea I've been through my fare share of storms. But I was just worried about the lady."

Cliff stated which was a bit presumptuous in her minds eye.

" Well you know this lady isn't quite as frail as you think, you know." Nel reminded as if she didn't scream it out to the world with her mere existence.

"Don't get me wrong I know you can handle yourself, just wanted your opinion don't uh…take it to offence k?"

They continued but the storm only worsened as they went on, and began to bewilder them, even Nel who new the paths by heart. It was cold and the winds blew fiercely, making it hard to walk or even stand. The snow creeped higher and higher up their shins until each step buried them to their knees. Nel's face grew cold and pale as the snow pounded around her contrasting hair. Cliff was pallid as well, but was conserving energy and faring much better. Not to mention his surpassing size.

Abruptly Nel's body fell to the ground, sailing into the snow nearly a foot. Cliff rushed to her picking her up without hesitation. She had fainted, her eyes were closed and she was breathing scarcely. "Nel?…God damn it! I'm supposed to be protecting her and what do I do? Let her freeze out here in this God forsaken blizzard." Cliff moved continued on steadily, pacing himself much faster than before along the path until he came to a cave in the rock, sheltered from the storm.

He settled inside, laying her down softly on the ground, his hand caressing her ashen face as she laid stiff and frozen, snow dazzling in her hair, embracing her wintry complection. He got up and searched around for wood to light a fire.

_Damn it, she's this close to dieing and all I can think about is how beautiful she is._

_There's something about those garnet eyes intimidating yet somehow kind._

Something about her wasn't like the other trashy girls he usually hung around, and she had a certain respect to her that he just couldn't get outta his mind. Her antagonistic little side comments kept him intertwined as well.

_It's not like I don't know there's no chance she's gonna want to leave this country…a planet that she loves for a guy like me. No matter how much I care about her…or even love her…I don't deserve her anyhow, I mean I can't even protect her from the god damned weather how can I keep her safe when we're off this place._

Cliff finished getting together the firewood and started up the fire, nurturing it until it ignited big enough to stabilize. He pulled Nel closer to the fire to warm her up, and sought out a boulder to cover the cave opening. After finishing that project and returning to the fire he noticed the snow on Nel had melted away leaving her clothes soaked and probably freezing her away. He also came to find out about how his clothes were drenched as well.

He went over to Nel and stripped of her armor and any unneeded clothing, leaving her in a sodden leotard that she wears underneath her other attire. Cliff set her other things to dry by the fire. He being Klausian had no shame in his body and was damn sure he was perfectly good looking. So he casually set off everything but his boxers to spare Nel if she woke up.

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Nel felt herself awakening with a devastating headache she looked over at Cliff wearily and he stared back at her with an eager and almost childish bliss to her awakening.

"Your awake! I was afraid I might have lost you…Nel I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have made you go, we should have stayed there. It was reckless and stupid. We could have both been killed. It was all my fault."

He rushed her with words and though she was still quite confused on what had happened she understood partially. "Wha…what happened?" (Cough) "Where are we?" She asked looking around at the fire lit cave. It was about then she noticed Cliff's shirtless body.

_Am I dreaming or something? What happened? Why is he shirtless? Where are his pant? Not that I really mind…she thought sheepishly to herself. He's even better looking that I expected, that Klausian thing must be really nice to live with. This isn't right, I am sure he doesn't see it being that he isn't Aquarian in my society I would never allocate a man in these conditions…well maybe Cliff just because he is persuasively good looking. I don't remember any man around here looking like that. Ever…_

"Uh…well you see Nell, the snow put some ware-and-tare on you. You passed out in the snow, I figured we outta camp out here for the night…if that's all right with you? At Least until our clothes dry." Cliff relayed the state of affairs in a simple-and-clean Cliff sorta way. That didn't always make sense to her, but made her smile to think about. Nel looked down at herself, seeing her russet leotard below her. Though her attire was not ostentatious she didn't feel exposed or uncomfortable. She glanced over and saw the garments lynching limberly by the blazing inferno embers, drying sulkily in the heat.

"I got hypothermia then?" Nell questioned clarifying the terms.

"Yea, well I imagine you're alright now. But you never know what lies in the future so lets not overdue it again K?." He deposited his decorated half smile that put a flush up her cheekbones.

All she answered with was a desolate "Yea." Because her mind was portraying further things, things more imminent than her life and death, or smiles and laughter besides.

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The next chapter Nell is going to end up telling Cliff about her father and the rumors that he had died in the previous battle. And Cliff will end up unleashing a bit about his past as well and some of the reasons behind his hate for the federation. I will try to have it up soon. Please R&R if you liked it!

_Editors Anger:_

_Coughcough…Do I get no credit here! Sorry if you're pissed at me cause in my editing I left my own comments…BUT HEY! Give me a little love…not only did you not mention me ONCE, but I helped think of his past too! Credit please…cause I am brilliant. WE ALL KNOW IT!_

_Seeya 2morrow KZ!_

_Sincerely Unforgettable, ANNA_

_P.S. Larry is a homosexual bastard!_


End file.
